mmh's Blog at LumberJocks.comhttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog
Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:30:55 GMTCustom Made Canes & Walking SticksCanes & Walking Sticks #2: Help us distribute canes to Veteranshttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/30731
Hello All. We are a small business making custom ergonomic walking canes and would like to distribute our canes to Veterans. We are also involved in donating canes to Veterans who are outside of the procured VA system, but are limited by the funds currently at hand.

You can help us widen our distribution by VOTING for BIG STICK CANES as a small business for a grant. This grant will enable us to expand our production and approach the VA as a verified vendor. It will also allow us more funding for donated canes. We currently have a discount for Veterans who wish to purchase/order a special cane and if you are a Veteran and use or need a cane and are unable to purchase one and are outside of the VA system, you can contact me to be put on our List of Donated Canes for future distribution.

Meanwhile, your VOTE is needed! Please visit: www.missionsmallbusiness.com and click on LOG IN & SUPPORT [option on right] and search for BIG STICK CANES of Gaithersburg, MD to vote for our cause. Deadline is June 30, 2012 and I need 250 plus votes to qualify, so please vote NOW and ask your family and friends.

Thanking all of you for your support and VOTE in advance.Meilie Moy-HodnettBig Stick CanesGaithersburg, MDwww.bigstickcanes.com

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Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:30:55 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/30731mmhmmhCanes & Walking Sticks #1: Custom Canes for Wounded Warriorshttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/30599
For those of you who know me, this has been an ongoing interest stemming from our humble small business of making custom canes for people who need a walking aid and who are interested in having one that is not resembling an aluminum medical device or a cheap store bought version that Charlie Chaplin would have twirled.

My husband uses a cane and for years he searched for a one that had enough substance to support him and give him a sense of style. The handles were made of various materials, usually wood, some of horn or brass and usually they were a bit too short for his medium height. The real issue of form vs. function started to reveal itself when a wooden cane carved of a dragon was given as a gift and when used, the handle easily popped off, as there was very little joinery to keep it together and the glue was quite insufficient. In an effort to have a cane that fit his hand comfortably, was made sturdy enough to lean his full weight on, tall enough for his height and aesthetically appealing to the eye to give a sense of style, he made his own canes and this was the start of our attraction to wood working that snagged me into it’s grip, as I had always wanted to work with wood and the portable wearable art form this offered me as a creative outlet was just the start of a new interest.

After many prototypes we have managed to create a line of canes that provide the mandatory basics of comfort, stability and style. The form of our canes must be functional and comfortable. This is not always the case when you research the history of the cane, as many were created for their superficial design interests but rarely do they give the user a comfortable and firm grip or a sense of stability. The height and heft of the shaft of a cane is also important, as an ill fitted cane can create additional musculoskeletal issues with painful results.

As a small business, we are striving to be a long term entity to provide people who need a sturdy cane additional options in their walking aid. Our clients come from all walks of life and are of a wide range of age. We would also like to become more involved in providing our custom ergonomic canes to the veterans of current and past wars. My husband is retired Army and we are grateful for what these men and women have given to defend our country and freedom and for those who have returned home, as wounded warriors, it gives would give us great pleasure in being able to provide a useful tool that would aid them in their daily activities. As a small business we would like to become a known vendor with the V.A. to distribute our canes to these soldiers. It is also a goal to be able to donate canes to the needy veterans who are outside of the realm of procured medical supplies and this in turn takes money to do so.

Here is where I need your assistance. I have applied for a grant as a small business that would allow us to continue and focus on our goals to produce our ergonomic canes in mass for veterans and be able to donate on a regular, long term basis to those who are outside of the established distribution system. What I need from you, the public, is your verified support in the form of a VOTE. There is NO money or other obligation asked of you. No monetary donations or solicitations will come from me, just my heartfelt thanks for taking a moment to LOG IN and vote for my small business, Big Stick Canes as a preliminary step to be recognized for my efforts, interests and integrity of wanting to be a successful business that provides a needed product.

I thank you in advance for your time and your VOTE. Please click on the link below, [Click on] LOG IN and Vote. [Type in Big Stick Canes, Gaithersburg, Maryland to find my application.]

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Wed, 20 Jun 2012 06:42:09 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/30599mmhmmhGoodbye Linden Treehttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/25618
This is a sad ending to a beautiful shade tree that must have been planted some 50 years ago in front of our house. It was situated on the public property on the streetside and provided a lot of shade. It almost provided too much shade for my front garden area, as the limbs drooped quite low and the numerous branches were quite dense.

The main trunk divided into three secondary trunks and two of them were noticably dying and branches were constantly growing and drooping over the powerlines that connected to our house, so in a pre-storm panic I tried to get someone to respond to my plea to trim the branches back. The morning that the storm was due to hit, the PEPCO trucks arrived and trimmed off the threatening branches. They left the three main trunks of the tree and I thought that maybe they would allow it to grow back now that it was no longer a threat to the power lines, but several days later they came back to finish the job and unfortunately the whole tree was cut down.

It’s sad to see a large tree cut down even if it were diseased, as it provided some well needed shade although the spring flowers and whirly gig pods were a nusiance.

I researched that the Linden tree wood is quite strong, but since it’s not of much interest in color or grain and we don’t have room for green wood, I didn’t haul any of this home. They have since hauled these logs away but there are still a few around the neighborhood yet to be picked up. I hope they come soon, as I may not be able to restrain myself much longer.

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Sat, 24 Sep 2011 06:34:23 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/25618mmhmmhAdvice on Cane Makinghttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/16291
I’ve enjoyed posting my work on Lumberjocks and have grown quite a bit through the exposure here and I’m flattered that my work has stimulated others to make their own canes. I’ve even received a few inquires on “How to make/design a cane”, but unfortunately time does not allow me to go into much detail as I could spend hours trying to give advice to all the inquiries which would take me away from my chores and workshop time.

I do have an Instructables posted through one of my projects and you are welcome to follow the instructions http://lumberjocks.com/projects/12742. There are other ways to make a cane and this is only one of them, but hopefully it will help. There are issues of strength and design that you will need to figure out and many of them are common sense issues, but using the Janka hardness scale will help you decide if your wood is strong enough or not.

The design of a cane should be comfortable, sturdy and aesthetically appealing. Think of your needs and design around them. Take in structural concepts and use some of the wood techniques that are incorporated in heavier pieces such as furniture. Remember a cane is going to be used to assist a person who may weigh 150-350 lbs. Take in consideration of that person’s needs. Is a person using their left or right hand or both? Create a comfortable handle that works for this. Start with a soft wood and create the shape until it feels good, then redo this in a harder wood. You may even try using a polymer clay to play with shapes. Take an old design and add to it. Just make sure you add your own interpretation to an idea and make it YOURS! Be creative and push the envelope. Don’t be a mimic, make it your own! And above all, have fun!

I will try to add more to this as time goes on, but please be patient.

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Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:49:02 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/16291mmhmmhWood ID: Mystery wood #1http://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/14043
I purchased this piece from an Australian source and the woman who sold it to me had no history or information on it. It’s “old” and may be “Mulga” burl is all the information I was given. Since I’m not familiar with Mulga or most Austrailian trees, I thought I’d post this to see if anyone has input to this.

It is a burl that was turned to expose the inner grain. It was polished and may have a light oil on it, but I have not done anything to expose the wood. It’s approximately 9” diameter and quite heavy.

For your viewing: Unconfirmed “Mulga” Burl

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Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:28:00 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/14043mmhmmhMicrowaving Wood Infohttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/10195
I found a website with some interesting information on microwaving wood. This may help explain how it can/can not work for your project: http://www.crcwood.unimelb.edu.au/science/wood.html

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Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:00:47 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/10195mmhmmhWood Collecting #2: Rudolph Block's Collection: Canes of Various Woods (1400 pcs. circa 1928)http://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/8996
I am looking for the location of Rudolph Block’s collection of canes of various woods as exhibited in 1928 at the “US National Museum in Washington”. Upon his death he willed the collection to Yale University School of Forestry. The collection consisted of 1400 canes of various woods, exhibited in 10 cases. I have included two of the articles that I have found (The first sent to me by fellow LJ, Sharad N. ). I am very interested in visiting or viewing photos of this collection. I feel there would be great interest if this collection can be found and viewed and maybe photographed for members to view online or published in the International Wood Collectors Society’s journal, World of Wood.

Thus far I have contacted the Smithsonian Archives Department and the Peabody Collections at Yale. If you should have any information that could assist locating the collection, please contact me through this blog.

The United States National Museum in Washington recently placed on exhibition the Rudolph Block Collection of walking sticks. There are fourteen cases of them, each with 100 canes neatly arranged and accurately labeled. Fourteen hundred walking sticks and no two alike! The owner could carry a different stick every day for nearly four years. As a matter of fact, the collector never carried even one of them and never had an intention of doing so.

Since the National Museum contains so many objects of historical interest, one might suppose that these canes were remnants of such trees as the Charter Oak and the Washington Elm, or of famous old battleships and landmarks, or that the sticks themselves had been carried by illustriuous men. The collection contains no such momentoes. The only history concerned is natural history. Each cane at least it’s shank, is a specimen of the heartwood of a tree, shown in its true colors and at its best. This is the explanation for the fourteen cases in the section known by the rather formidable title of Wood Technology. The beauty imparted by the designer and artisans is only their tribute to the natural beauty and design of the woods.

Mr. Block, the collector and owner of this unique exhibit, is a New York newspaper man and short-story writer known to the reading world as Bruno Lessing. In assembling from the remote corners of the earth the raw woods for the sticks and the wide range of attractive substances for the handles and utilizing them as a painter uses pigments he found relaxation from his profession, contacts with a different world and a new outlet for his artistic ability. He came to know and love woods, not only the rare and fancy kinds, but also the ordinary utility ones, the “Marthas of the wood world”.

“There is a simple ash which I gloat over as much as I do over any ebony or rosewood,” he once wrote. “There is a Tennessee cedar of golden hue, with little dark brown knots in it, which looks fine to me as a flaming padouk. And there are pines and poplars and willows and gums that gleam in changing lights and suggest hidden beauties and allurements as much as any snakewood, pimento, goncalo alves, kingwood, or any of the “aristocracy” of woods. But are there really aristocrats and Marthas of the wood world? Or is it merely a matter of finding a wood at its best and shaping and polishing it in a way that brings out its beauties?”

The story of this collection is a story of a hobby that ran away with the collector and took him into strange places and along pathways he had no intention of treading when first he started. Though not a scientist and having a dislike for botonay dating back to college days, the collector became a student of botanical works, made a very wide acquaintance among foresters, wood technologists and botanists everywhere, and made a valuable addition to the knowledge of woods and to the literature on the subject. So generous were the contributions of specimens from official soures that the collection ceased to be a private affair exclusively and involved an obligation for a public display. Hence the loan to the National Museum and the international interest in the exhibit.

The collector’s own story was told by him in part in The Empire Forestry Journal, of London. “It all began with a hobby for collecting walking sticks,” he wrote. “You know how it is. You see attractive walking sticks,” in the shop windows of London, of Paris, Rome and other Continental cities, and you buy them. Gazing one day at the result of various shopping tours, this idea came: “Why not get a walking stick made of every wood in the world?”

“Well, it seemed to be a good idea and I decided to carry it out. I wrote letters to all parts of the world asking all sorts of people to send me sticks of wood. While I was waiting for replies to my letters it occured to me that it might be well t look up some books on woods and find our how many different varieities there were in the world. Collectors frequently think of such things – when it is too late! I discovered that, in the few remaining years of one lifetime, I had undertaken a task that could easily occupy a dozen lifetimes.

A Generous Response.“I never had a chance to profit by these wise discoveries, because, just at the time when I began to realize the enormity of the task I had undertaken, my first impulsive acts bore fruit. Foresters, timber merchants, Goverment officials, missionaries, travelers, steamship companies, museums and collectors, to whom, in the first blush of my enthusiasm, I had written, responded so generously with sticks of wood of every color, marking, grain and figuring under the sun that I had no alternative but to concentrate upon the task of turning them all into walking sticks.

“Then it dawned upon me that I was less interested in walking sticks than in the varieties and beauties of woods. The walking stick became merely the vehicle through which the wood expressed itself. Some woods, by their very nature, are unfitted for any practical use as a walking stick, but, nevertheless, I had them made into that form.”

Then came a confusion of names – native names which meant nothing to civilized ears, and English ones which had lost their distinctiveness because of the widely different things to which they were loosely applied. It was at this stage of the proceedings that the present writer was called in. Every stick has been as carefully classified as the present status of science will permit. To this end foresters, botanists and specialists in wood identification in various parts of the world have contributed of their expert knowledge. The catalogue with its indexes to the common and Latin names has become a recognized reference volume entirely apart from the design as a guide to the collection.

The appeal of the exhibit is by no means limited to the scientist, but extends to all who have a love for the beautiful. To the furniture and cabinet maker there are displayed as never before the choicest offerings of the forests near and remote. The manufacturer of canes and umbrella handles will find enough original ideas to last him a lifetime. The leather fancier will find all sorts of colors of leathers and skins wrought into the handles. There are also precious metals, semi-precious stones, ivory, tusks and burls, plain or ornate, and inlaid with a skill that taxed the abilities of the most skilled workman and artisans of both hemispheres. Whatever the avenue of approach, it is a collection as remarkable and interesting as it is unique. Its like does not exist.

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Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:08:42 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/8996mmhmmhWood Collecting #1: International Wood Collectors Societyhttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/8985
If you are interested in wood working, then chances are high that you just can’t get enough of different samples or various species of woods, or even the same wood with different graining. Each species of wood is so unique and the warmth that it reflects as having been a living tree is always amazing to view. As a craftsperson, I can only hope to unveil the beauty in each piece I create.

This brings to mind that many wood lovers have a collection. It may be a simple and humble collection of a dozen items or so, or it may be vast and categorized in a volume of hundreds of samples identified with the botanical name. Or, you may not even own a piece, but have an interest in wood and wooden items. What ever your interest and status, I invite you to become a member of the International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS).

The International Wood Collectors Society publishes a journal, World of Wood which features articles, many from members about collecting, identifying, visiting sites, scientific data, and other interests dealing with wood. The membership is global so the contents of each journal can be quite varied. They have organized meetings around the globe so that maybe you can attend one to meet fellow wood people like yourself. There is an auction for fundraising and they are currently looking for donations of craft items to offer to sell or auction to members or the general public. They can also teach you how to start a formal collection and supply samples that you do not already have to add to your collection. This is a NON-PROFIT organization, and donations of wood, wood items or of monetary form are greatly appreciated.

So please visit: http://www.woodcollectors.org and become a member! Your membership will include 6 issues of World of Wood and a great connection to some interesting and knowlegable people. You can tell them member 9241 sent you.

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Sun, 31 May 2009 14:57:00 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/8985mmhmmhKilling or Preventing Wood Boring Beetleshttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/7984
I’d like to hear your input on how to kill or prevent wood boring beetles in lumber.

When I receive wood, especially green, if I’m storing this indoors, I make sure to remove the bark and inspect for signs of wood boring insects. When I received a shipment of Texas Ebony, upon my request it was milled and had been liberally doused with an insecticide prior to shipment. I removed the bark and most of the sapwood to reveal grubs still alive. I removed as much tainted wood as possible and liberally applied rubbing alcohol several times before allowing to dry and store indoors.

A few months later, in the middle of winter, I had adult beetles (1.5” long x 1/4” wide, black w/ green spots) flying around the basement towards the lights for my indoor plants. I found wood dust at the base of one of the ebony slabs and re-applied the alcohol (which worked on a previous log). Fortunately I found most/all that evolved and destroyed them. I’m hoping they did not mate and re-establish in the ebony or other fancy woods I have stored.

I also have numerous glue traps on the floor and have dusted the crevices of the basement with boric acid to prevent crawling bugs. I have to make sure applications are not toxic to myself or pets, so the substance has to be applied carefully and out of the way.

I’d like to hear how you deal with this issue or any other practical solutions.

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Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:42:22 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/7984mmhmmhWood Worker's Show: Chantilly, VA March 27-29, 2009 (Updated)http://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/7488
FYI: I just got the flyer for this show and the dates have changed. It is now March 27-29, not 20-22 as posted earlier. Hope to see you there.

This is in continuation of the blog started on the Timonium, MD show. The next one in the MD-DC-VA area will be held at the Expo Center in Chantilly, VA on March 27-29*

I hope to be there curousing the isles for new toys. If anyone from LJ’s happens to be there, it would be nice to meet up. There are reasonably priced eateries just outside of the Expo Center, across the parking lots, should we like to have lunch together, or just meet and wander, as there’s always lots to look at and drool over. Bring your own bibb.

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Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:47:41 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/6268mmhmmhLogitis Annonymous: Can You Pass By A Pile of Wood Without Stopping?http://lumberjocks.com/mmh/blog/6228
I was just wondering how many other crazy wood people are out there are like my husband and myself. I am relatively new to wood working but the bug has bitten me pretty hard. I live in a 50 year old suburban neighborhood that is very well treed. Many of these trees are 30-50 yrs. old and when a neighbor cuts one down the wood is left on the curbside for pick up. How many times have you seen freshly (or seasoned) logs, branches, wood pieces laying on the side of the road and just had to stop and inspect and try to haul a branch or log that was way too heavy in to your vehicle, or even come back with an under sized wheel barrel? It’s like the ant trying to harvest the grasshopper leg. It just don’t go, at least not very far nor very fast.

I have a load of maple under my porch from a year and a half ago. The logs range from 80-600 lbs. each. My husband and I spotted 3 large logs on the curb and asked the owner of the house if we could have them. They had been there for 3-6 months and the wife said her husband would be delighted to have them removed. Their 2 adult sons took all day to get them there. My husband and I got them in his pick-up truck in 5 minutes. The wife frantically called the husband on the phone and he ran home to show us MORE logs on the side and back of the house. We loaded 10 more pieces while the family watched us in awe. (The truck was parked down hill and we used ramps so it wasn’t that hard to roll them up a few feet, although we did get some help on the final up-push into the truck.)

We drove back to our house, 2 blocks away and unloaded most of them without mishap. My husband continued to unload the truck while I made lunch and I heard a lot of LOUD THUMPS in the driveway. The last log to tango with was not the largest, maybe 400 lbs., but it was the crotch piece, so it didn’t roll very easily. With an iron rod and a square rock/brick underneath, we managed to roll it halfway to it’s designated spot until we were too tired and gave up. Meanwhile I kicked the rock so many times to wedge it underneath to prevent it from rolling backwards, that I kicked my right hip out of alignment. My chiropractor calls it “Frog Leg Syndrome”. I call it Logitis.

This is not the first nor the last log haul but I’d like to hear some of your stories.

Alas, here is the cullprit as it sits on a concrete paver riddled with lichen. (The garden spade is 39” tall, 7.5” wide blade.)